"Slow down if you don't want to roll down the hill!" Hongjoong's voice shouts behind him.
Mingi ignores the warning and rushes down, his shoes crunching the first autumn leaves.
A toubled wind travels from the forest to the Academy grounds.
The metal gates open with a groan as the new necromancer enters with sparkling eyes.
Hongjoong plops down on the softly cushioned bench and huffs while Mingi is stretching his long arm below it in search of the cards.
The black haired male focuses on the wind rushing in his face like warm sun rays as his eyes close. Soon enough, quiet laughter grows louder in volume. It's rusty like a town's old clock and is accompanied with a gentle tap once in a while.
Opening his eyes, the raven head stares into Killian's amused face.
"Fancy seeing you here, warlock."
"It's been a while." the male agrees.
Mingi looks up from the tarot cards to stare at him.
"Weren't we here like the day before yesterday?"
"I was saying that to Killian."
The red haired male lets out a dragged "oh" as his head turns to look at the gravestones.
"Which one is his?"
"The one in the back yet he likes to use everyone else's except his own. Right now he is rather confidently striding towards Janis grave." Hongjoong's black eyes follow the soul across the graveyard.
"You would make a great race caller." the man comments, leaning against the cold rock of his fellow spirit.
The necromancer turns his head to look at Mingi.
"Do you remember which card you pulled?"
"Yes." the other answers, shuffling through the cards in a hurry.
He recalls the picture vaguely yet the name of the card is still in his mind.
"This one. The star."
Hongjoong reaches for the card in Mingi's hand and inspects it.
"Quite fitting. Do you know the meaning of it?"
"No, do you?"
"This card is the seventeenth one in the deck, in short the meaning is something along the lines of when the situation is bleak, you will find a new way to keep going."
"Woah." the male exhales as his chocolate eyes stare at the card.
"It usually stands for optimism, hope, faith and in certain cases longing or truth." Hongjoong says before giving the card back.
The red head takes it and begins shuffling it with the other ones.
"Can you show me how you did it the first time?"
"I think I can, I'm not sure."
Mingi doesn't remember what exactly he did so, spreading the cards out, his hand reaches for the first that falls into his radar of interest.
He looks at the drawing, feeling Hongjoong lean in to see as well.
"Wheel of fortune?" he reads out loud.
His friend only hums.
"An unforeseen event, completely out of your control, changes everything."
"That was so monotonously said as if you read it from a learning book."
"Oh, Mingi, the days of you sleeping in are nearing their end. You will have to spend many nights learning all of the tarot, rune and bone meanings."
"What now? Bone?" the male repeats.
Hongjoong thinks a bit, then shakes his head.
"No, bone reading was for the bees if I'm correct. You'll have it next year."
"And what if I jump the ranks?" Mingi asks, rather ready to not be stuck in one place for a whole year.
"Then you'll be a fool to skip the lectures."
He sighs dejectedly.
"Does the card mean that me finding a way to communicate with the dead is an unforeseen event that changed everything?"
"I wouldn't say so. Every card has its timing, be it next week or next year. The wheel of fortune usually refers to events about to happen within the next twelve years."
"Twelve years? I will be a middle aged man!"
Hongjoong shrugs, slightly amused at his reaction.
"Then you will have an unforeseen event when you're a middle aged man."
"But how do I know which event the card is referring to? I could have unexpected things happening every day for all I know!"
"It won't tell you clearly since quite frankly, tarot cards just as runes are like guidelines. They are vague because a card or a piece of rock shaped bone can't see your future."
"Wait, runes are made of bones?" Mingi asks.
"They used to in ancient times."
The male nods before sighing.
"Okay."
"Is the lad aware that he can see me now or not?" Killian asks, his transparent eyes locked on Mingi.
The red haired male snaps his head up at the remark. His brown eyes take in the man like a scanner.
"Good day." the ghost greets him.
"Hey..." Mingi breathes out.
"I guess using tarot cards forms a connection to this side." Hongjoong says, turning his head to the man.
Killian looks like someone who would be popular in his time. His hair seems curly and almost reaches his shoulders while the man's face is pleasant to look at.
The only thing ruining his whole image are the ragged clothes he has on. Mingi can't help but stare at the hole in his pants under one of the knees.
"How are things on your side?" the man grins.
"Same as always." Hongjoong answers.
The spirit's gaze shifts to the red head.
"Mh, what he just said."
The ghost laughs, carefree as ever.
"One more talkative than the other, I see."
The black haired male pokes the younger's cheek, bringing him out of his thought process.
"Where's Ian?"
"Are you talking about the dog?" Mingi asks.
"You know about my dog?" the man smiles before pointing towards the forest. "Probably chasing after some squirrels."
"Can they see him?"
"Hard to say." the spirit shrugs his shoulders so the male turns to find an answer in the walking encyclopaedia.
"They can't yet they can feel something similar to his energy I suppose." is the explanation, which satisfies the red head.
"Can normal people see ghosts?"
"I would say yes but for most of them they only feel some kind of energy, they don't see our faces or physical bodies."
Mingi leans closer as the ghost speaks.
"What about the energy? What does that feel like?"
Killian tilts his head.
"I don't know, my body doesn't feel much but I believe you have something going on. An interesting energy on your own."
"Hongjoong?" the male almost whines, receiving a chuckle.
"You're good with feeling energies, their movement and what intents, good or bad, do they have."
"Am I?"
"Yes, you are." the raven head squints his eyes as if he knows better.
Mingi smiles bashfully.
"Alright." he answers, watching the homeless man before him.
The dead soul chuckles before focusing back on the forest.
"It's almost time for Ian's belly rubs, I will have to leave you, lads. Have a pleasant stay."
"Farewell, Killian." Hongjoong says as the man smiles.
"Is it now?" and with that there's no one standing by the gravestones.
"Almost makes you envious, doesn't it?"
"What do you mean?"
The black haired necromancer stares in front of him towards the gravestones and woods behind the enclosed space.
"Killian and Ian. He died yet his dog didn't leave his side and soon followed him due to lack of water and hunger. It was basically an animal commiting suicide to be with his owner and now they are together forever, even their remains are one by this point. To get such a loyal and life-long friend, not everyone gets so lucky."
"It's sad that they died though." Mingi answers, his fingers playing with the cards absentmindedly.
"They would have died either way due to old age or other natural causes. Ian first of course so they wouldn't get a chance to be buried together. In a way I believe it was better this way."
One word gets stuck in the red haired male's mind.
"So, we were buried? Is this his idea?"
"No, they all got buried after all." Hongjoong laughs. "It's more about what connects them. They all are from different times, backgrounds, share different opinions but one thing they found in common was their bodies being six feet underground."
"It's like us having found one thing in common, being humans."
"Are you sure I'm something as basic as a human?" Hongjoong scoots closer to the taller male.
"Awfully positive." Mingi nudges his shoulder with a grin.
Then his stomach growls loudly in the quiet graveyard. His expression turns sheepish and borders with the embarrassment he is feeling.
"I guess that's our sign to go eat." the older male says, lifting himself up from the bench.
"What time is dinner?"
"It already began but if we hurry, we can still squeeze in the line." the necromancer answers, opening the gates.
Mingi follows him and the metal entrance getting pushed back to hit his legs is like a challenge in his eyes.
Shouts and yells get lost in the yard as the two necromancers run up the hill to the Academy. Pushing and pulling each other breathlessly, they slip through the doors and rush past the few students roaming the hallways.
The dinner has only just begun. Lines upon lines of students stand by the buffet of hot foods and drinks. They manage to squeeze in.
Mingi salivates almost instantly as he places pieces of beef, potatoes and salad on his plate. Taking the small container of ketchup sauce, he tries to balance a glass of juice as well but the yellow liquid wavers as if a tide of the sea.
Carefully and dramatically slowly, the red head reaches their usual table. What greets him is a plate twice his own and an eager eater not even close to his height.
"Hi." Wooyoung waves with his left hand as the right one is busy picking up the fork.
He sits down and hums.
"Hey. How were lessons today?"
"Murderous. I will have a test in werewolf anatomy tomorrow, which is not fair."
"Why would having a test be unfair?" Hongjoong appears on one of the two vacant seats as if out of thin air yet it's just Mingi's overly interested nature to not let anything else in while he focuses on one thing.
"The teacher literally spent four hours on the subject and after making sure we all had our brains cooked, told us about it! I didn't get half of the information and he wants me to learn all of that for tomorrow's class? I don't have time for that."
"The sleepless nights have begun." the necromancer says, scooping rice on his fork.
"Isn't werewolf anatomy similar to wolf anatomy?"
"Well...it kinda is but we use different terminology." Wooyoung leans his back against the chair, licking his lips after a tasty bite of chicken leg.
"Good luck." Mingi wishes.
"Don't complain about the light being on all night."
"Don't you see well at night?"
The blond male snorts.
"Look, just because I see a bit better in the evening doesn't mean I want to fuck up my eyesight."
"Got it."
Two black eyes look over the line of students, searching for a vampire that hasn't arrived yet.
Not finding what they were searching for, the orbs land on a tall male, who is making his way over to the group.
Meanwhile, Mingi has leant back in his chair as well, laughing at Wooyoung shaming the stereotypes built for his species.
He feels something lightly brushing the back of his head and neck. A hand falls in his line of vision. It reaches down and places a paper bag next to his plate.
Lifting his head up, the male's brown eyes meet with a black pair. They aren't as deep and soulless as Hongjoong's, they more like brim with fire like still warm pieces of coal.
"Hello."
Mingi is as if lost in his own world, only thoughts of the light shining on the male's dark brown hair and turning them into silk swirl around without a stop.
"Ah..." he says when his eyes recognise the newcomer. He couldn't tell at first glance due to him being clothed now.
"And you are?" Hongjoong's voice asks, followed by a fork stabbing a piece of meat.
The werewolf lifts his head to look at the necromancer as the red head stares at his chin and addam's apple.
"I met your friend before so I just wanted to come by and say hi." his smile didn't waver even after Hongjoong's face didn't bloom in a smile.
Flinching when the lively eyes get back to him, Mingi almost drops his fork.
"I'm sorry for scaring you that morning. I truly didn't mean any harm. I brought you a cookie to make up for it. You eat cookies, right?"
"If he doesn't, I certainly do." Wooyoung comments and receives a small glare from his friend.
"It's fine, thanks." Mingi says to the male yet the other doesn't budge from his place. Feeling the back of his head beginning to hurt, he clears his throat.
"I do eat cookies." is the follow up.
"Good. Enjoy." the werewolf nods before stepping out of his sight. He tilts his head down to look at the paper bag.
Wooyoung leans towards him while his blue eyes stare in the brunet's back. When he has concluded that he is too far to hear their next conversation, he speaks up.
"That's the naked werewolf we saw in class, right?"
Hongjoong raises his eyebrow up at that.
"What class was that?"
"No, he meant it's the one scaring me in the forest. We just saw him in one of the lectures. He was dressed there."
"Sadly." the werewolf says, earning two snorts.
Mingi glances inside the bag and sees a chocolate cookie inside.
"I hope you will share with the rest of the table." the blond male stares at the bag with big eyes.
"Sure." he takes out the sweet and notices Hongjoong looking at it.
"Split it in two, I'm not a fan of chocolate."
"Better for us!" Wooyoung rubs his palms together, making Mingi laugh.
The brown cookie gets split in two and one of the pieces vanishes down a busy mouth in a second. After that, Mingi's roommate is ready to continue talking.
"I should seriously join you in those morning runs."
"You can never wake up that early."
"Well, then wake me up."
"Can't, all my tries ended up futile."
"Try suffocating him with a pillow, that should wake him up." Hongjoong gets up from his seat.
"Hey, hey, hey, do not listen to him now." Wooyoung warns urgently.
"I won't. Where are you going?" Mingi chuckles before asking.
"To Yeosang's room. He probably lost track of time while reading."
"You sure you don't want to finish your dinner?"
"I'm fine, have a good evening, you two. Study hard for that anatomy test, Wooyoung."
"Will do." the werewolf's voice is everything but enthusiastic but Hongjoong doesn't stay for long to analyse it.
He leaves the dining hall and goes past the many similar doors towards the dorms, not aware that he just passed the male.
Yeosang flips another page of the book behind the closed library doors with his hand blocking the yawn trying to escape past his lips.
He hums, thinking over the information that's slowly seeping into his mind. His focus on the book begins to disappear so he closes the cover and acknowledges that he is finished for the day.
The vampire stands up with the book in his hand and walks to the other end of the bookshelf. The main aisle is as if left for abandonment, feeling only Yeosang's cold figure stopping a few steps before it. He pushes the book in the empty space, aligning it's back with the rest.
A hinge creaks when the library door opens. The black haired male stands with his back facing the one entering. He feels the scent of forest and moss, his hearing picks up on steps coming closer to him.
Yeosang turns before the werewolf steps too close.
Eyes the colour of coffee without milk. Height insignificantly taller than his own. Light brown and neat hair. Broad shoulders for intimidation purposes.
"Excuse me, do you know where I can find a book about werewolf anatomy?"
A soothing, calm voice full of peace and not a single care.
He hums while exhaling a breath.
"Everything werewolf related is at the back. Anatomy should be on the right side."
"Thank you."
Smile as if the receiver isn't a vampire. Steps past him as if the thought of an attack is nonexistent.
Yeosang's light grey eyes watch the disappearing silhouette.
The forgotten library isn't so empty anymore.